


Mirror, Mirror

by Finely Honed (jaqen_hgar)



Series: Imagine Tony & Bucky [62]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Dimension Travel, Friends to Lovers, Fun with Portals, Getting Together, Homecoming, Insecure Tony, M/M, Married Couple, Matchmaking, Mutual Pining, Portal-vengers, Portals, Star Trek References, Stranded
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 18:45:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4931053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaqen_hgar/pseuds/Finely%20Honed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <span class="small">Prompt: An AU Tony accidentally comes through a portal with his husband Bucky. Both are temporarily stuck in this universe and the both Tonys and Bruce are working on sending the AU Tony and Bucky back to where they belong. The problem? This universes' Tony and Bucky aren't married or dating. But, maybe one or both have unrequited feelings for each other? Maybe the AU Tony and AU Bucky take it upon them selves to hook up their alters?</span>
</p><p>“I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” Tony announced entirely unhelpfully from beside him, the helmet now removed and tucked under an arm.</p><p>There were their friends, the Avengers, circled around them, weapons raised and faces confused, none more so than their own doppelgängers.</p><p>Clint was the first to speak. “Okay… this looks bad.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mirror, Mirror

**Author's Note:**

> This has also been [translated into Chinese](http://www.movietvslash.com/thread-169971-1-1.html)! :D

“That’s not good.”

Which was—in Bucky’s opinion anyway—really quite accurate, even though the words were delivered in a typical Steve deadpan. If it wound up being the last thing he ever heard Steve say, he’d be extremely pissed off, but the anger had to take a temporary backseat to fear.

Despite stopping the countdown on the machine, just as they all took a moment to catch their breath, the portal decided to make an appearance anyway. It ripped open space and time in front of them, specifically almost exactly on top of Bucky. That’s just how his luck tended to run, so he wasn’t even a little surprised when he felt himself getting sucked up into the air and toward the center of the thing.

“James!”

And just as the light show really kicked off around him, a familiar red and gold dumbass came flying after him, catching him around the waist with enough force to knock the air right out of him.

“What’re you…”

“I’ve got you,” he heard, even as his vision began to swim.

Bucky had a smartass comment all ready, but couldn’t quite get his mouth and brain cooperating enough to spit it out, so he focused on the slight forward momentum as Iron Man attempted to fly them back to safety. For about fifteen seconds, he thought they were going to make it, but then the portal truly flared into life, sucking the two Avengers into temporary nothingness…

…

…only to spit them back out into absolute chaos.

“Oh, good, things are on fire now,” Bucky coughed out, squinting into the smoke.

A sudden gust of wind cleared the area, bringing with it grit and debris, so he shielded his eyes, turning away for a moment. It was the same building they’d just been standing in, only it looked like it’d been leveled in the time they’d been gone. The portal itself was nowhere to be seen, but Tony was right there beside him, knocking a gauntlet against the side of his helmet.

Before he could ask if everything was okay, Tony shifted into the patented “Iron Man is gonna blast a fool” stance beside him, prompting Bucky to whirl around. Almost immediately, he relaxed, the relief washing over him in waves.

“What’d you do to the place while we were gone?”

Captain America stared at him like he’d lost his mind, and Bucky hardly had time to wonder what had gotten into Steve when he saw  _another_  James Buchanan Barnes step out from behind Captain America, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

“I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” Tony announced entirely unhelpfully from beside him, the helmet now removed and tucked under an arm.

There were their friends, the Avengers, circled around them, weapons raised and faces confused, none more so than their own doppelgängers.

Clint was the first to speak. “Okay… this looks bad.”

“Hey, any chance you guys saw a portal around here?” Tony asked, shit eating grin slapped on his face, ignoring Clint’s remark. “We seem to have accidentally jumped universes.”

“Why couldn’t it be a time travel portal?” Bucky complained, unable to help himself. Tony managed to drag his eyes off of the alternate Avengers long enough to shoot Bucky an incredulous look. “What? We could have had fun fucking with our past selves.”

“No, do not do this to me! I can’t handle interdimensional travel, confronting alternate versions of ourselves,  _and_  have the temporal causality loop debate with you again. I will absolutely throw a tantrum.”

Bucky snorted, rolled his eyes, and focused on Captain America. Despite them having just tumbled out of a portal, no one was attacking them, so Bucky was going to treat the alternates the same way he’d have treated his friends back home.

“You guys got coffee in this universe? He’s only had one cup today.”

“Get this handsome devil some coffee,” the other Iron Man said, relaxing his stance and allowing the faceplate to flip open.

Sure enough, another version of Tony Stark was inside, grinning like a kid on Christmas morning. Leave it to Stark to find the entire thing delightful. Even though it wasn’t  _his_  Tony, the sight still made Bucky’s heart lurch pleasantly, and he smiled back out of habit. Beside him, his own Tony cleared his throat, and Bucky did his best to look wide eyed and innocent.

“Let’s try to get an idea of what we’re dealing with,” Steve suggested. He slung the shield over his shoulder, locking it in place before shaking hands with Bucky and Tony in turn.

“We’re just assuming we can trust these two?” Stark asked, hands on his hips. He looked to Bruce for backup, and Banner seemed to consider the situation as he tugged his blanket a little tighter around him. “He has a point.”

Stark gestured at Banner saying, “Obviously Brucie and I are the only ones who remember  _Mirror, Mirror_.”

Bucky snorted at this. “Hey, they’ve got  _Star Trek_ , too! Since I don’t have an evil goatee or an agonizer, I think we’re good.”

Stark blinked his surprise, then glanced over to Barnes. “I like this one better,” he announced, pointing to Bucky. “He gets my  _Star Trek_ references. Any chance you portal-vengers are open to trades?”

Bucky watched Barnes react to the comment, the muscle in his jaw twitching the only outward sign of his displeasure. Whatever universe they’d wound up in, he had to assume Barnes had gone through more or less the same ordeal at the hands of HYDRA. While Bucky had moved on, this alternate still had the longer hair, hadn’t shaved in a while, and looked particularly rough around the edges in a way Bucky hadn’t seen in the mirror in years. Immediately, he glanced at Tony, saw that he’d also picked up on the strange vibe between these other versions of themselves.

“Cap,” Tony said, shifting into serious mode, “I’m hoping this’ll be a short visit. Your help would make it shorter. What brought you to this neck of the woods?”

Steve nodded, his expression concerned. “We were just wrapping up clearing out a HYDRA facility when the two of you materialized out of thin air in the middle of the wreckage.”

“Conveniently putting out the fire,” Clint added, sounding bored. “Smokey the Bear will be proud.”

“By any chance were there mad scientists trying to use alien technology to bridge the gap between universes in order to do something stupidly nefarious?”

Steve’s eyes widened at Bucky’s question, while Tony made a noise of disapproval. “Why do they always have to be  _mad_  scientists? Couldn’t they have just been bold, misguided scientists?”

Bucky smiled at him affectionately; they’d had this debate before. He could tell Tony was trying to distract himself from having a freakout over their predicament, which meant he’d have to keep it together for both of them so Tony could concentrate on getting them back home again. Freaking out sounded preferable. Sure, whatever universe they’d wound up in had The Avengers, and he was certain the alternate versions of their friends would try to help them get back where they belonged, but that didn’t change the fact that for now they were stranded here. He purposefully forced himself to stop thinking about it, because if he started, he’d be a mess.

“As far as we’re aware, the only sort of experiments taking place here involved failed attempts to enhance humans,” Steve answered, heading back to the group with a nod of the head. Bucky and Tony fell into step behind him. “But if there’s something we can do to help you get back home, we’ll do it.”

“Thanks, Cap.”

Tony looked to him, his smile tight, fear flickering in his dark eyes. Bucky knew what he was thinking, because it was the same thing that he was desperately trying not to let himself consider. Being stranded in another universe wasn’t an option; they had too much to lose.

+

“Is it just me, or is there something  _really_  off about those two?” Tony asked, sidling up to Bucky in the helicarrier. The portal rejects were chatting quietly with Steve, standing shoulder to shoulder and wearing identical concerned expressions.

Bucky sighed his relief. “Yeah, definitely. Thought it was just me. This is freaky.”

“Tell me about it.” Tony watched them, chewing on the inside of his cheek and feeling oddly unsettled. “The sooner we get them home the better.”

He couldn’t stop staring, and it seemed like Bucky was having the same problem. He could tell the other Stark was on edge, which wasn’t too surprising since he’d been sucked through a portal earlier in the day. It wasn’t just that, though, it was something else. Something he couldn’t quite…

Beside him, Bucky inhaled sharply as his counterpart raised his metal hand and placed it against the other Stark’s lower back, shiny thumb rubbing back and forth in an entirely all too familiar way. He’d obviously also picked up in the subtly of Stark’s mood, was seeking to comfort him, which was  _crazy_.

“Wait,” Tony hissed, glancing at his Bucky—his  _universe’s_  Bucky—and then back at the newcomers, an idea formulating in his mind. But it had to be nothing, because it couldn’t be what he was thinking, because that was—again—crazy! “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

As they watched, Stark wrapped his arm around Barnes’s waist, head tucked against his shoulder, as if they shared casual intimacy like that all the time. Just when he thought he could  _maybe_  wrap his mind around the sight of Bucky Barnes embracing the other him, it got worse; they kissed each other. It obviously wasn’t their first kiss. It seemed to be about comfort and reassurance from where he was standing, but whatever the intention the result was incredibly, mind meltingly  _hot_.

Tony couldn’t get his lungs to work, or his heart to slow down its mission to pump all of his blood south as he watched the tender, familiar way they brushed their lips together. Bucky’s arms were curled low around Stark’s waist, holding him close and tight, and it was borderline painful watching the way this other him rose to his tiptoes in order to press more forcefully into the kiss, the way Barnes smiled in response. There was a quick flash of visible tongue before Barnes was tugging gently at Tony’s lower lip, hands having come up to cup his face possessively. As the kiss ended, they whispered quietly to each other, seemingly oblivious to the impact their little display of affection had had on the group.

Looking around the room, Tony saw wide eyes all around. He couldn’t blame them. He and Bucky weren’t exactly known for getting along, mostly because whenever he opened his mouth around Steve’s best friend Tony somehow managed to piss the guy off. Which was a shame, because…

“What the hell?” Barnes squeaked, jumping to his feet.

The other two blinked, glancing around and smiling sheepishly. “Sorry, sorry,” Tony said, waving his hands. Bucky hadn’t stepped away, though, he was staying pressed against Tony’s side, a hand resting on his shoulder. “Forgot we weren’t with our Avengers.”

“Ah, so. You two are dating in your universe?” Steve asked, and Tony wanted to take issue with the incredulous tone of voice their fearless leader was using.

“Nah,” Bucky answered, wearing a smile he’d never seen on his own Bucky’s face before. “I married the punk.”

That… Tony hadn’t expected that. He wasn’t sure what was more alarming, the lurch of jealousy he felt over the remark, the distressed sound Bucky made beside him, or the almost identical looks of lovesick affection their alternates weren’t even trying to hide as they grinned at each other.

“Is this a nightmare?” Bucky asked, looking to Tony for solidarity.

Normally, he might have made a joke, or agreed, or accidentally started a fight, but normal had gone right out the window. Tony found himself irrationally angry as he looked around the helicarrier. Everyone with the exception of Bruce seemed comfortable openly displaying how surprised they were over the idea of him and Bucky together. Clint was, in fact, laughing so hard he’d hidden his face against Nat’s shoulder. Tony hadn’t expected it to hurt quite so much, but it felt like his darkest secret had just been dragged out into the light so everyone could have a good long laugh at his expense.

“Married?” Steve asked, eyebrows raised. To Tony’s surprise, a smile broke across Steve’s serious face, and he stepped forward to shake the other Bucky and Tony’s hands. “Congratulations! How long?”

“Four and a half years now,” Bucky answered. As if he could feel Tony’s eyes on him, he shifted his gaze, the soft smile he shared making Tony’s heart race again. “Feels like yesterday, though. Time flies when you’re having fun.”

Which wasn’t fair. He was used to hating himself for all the normal reasons, but now he was presented with a flesh and blood version of himself to hate, one he wanted to punch in the stupid lovesick face for being such a lucky bastard. Frowning, Tony spun on his heels and stalked off toward the cockpit.

Of course, by leaving in a huff like that he missed the tiny, wounded look that passed across Bucky’s face like a cloud momentarily blocking the sun. It might have been there and gone again, but there were two people present that caught it, and shared a look of their own.

+

If Tony had the ability to shoot lasers from his eyes, Stark would have been incinerated several times over during the elevator ride down to the workshop. Bucky didn’t really blame Tony for the dirty looks. They’d just wasted hours negotiating being allowed to enter the workshop at all. Stark was paranoid, perhaps understandably so, and ultimately they’d had to consent to having tracking devices injected, in addition to having scans run so JARVIS could easily differentiate between versions of the Avengers.

It wasn’t that Stark was unwilling to help, he just seemed to have a big old chip on his shoulder where they were concerned in general. Bucky had his suspicions as to what was going on, but he wasn’t stupid enough to say anything about it, especially not in a group setting. That was a surefire way to get himself kicked out of the Tower entirely.

Bucky absently rubbed his thumb across Tony’s knuckles, seeking comfort as much as looking to reassure his husband. He wanted to point out that it was bath time, and they were missing it. He could count on one hand the number of times they’d both been absent for the nightly ritual, and the idea that they could be looking at days or weeks without being where they belonged left him sick to his stomach. Bucky supposed Steve had stepped in, maybe even all of the Avengers, trying to turn it into a fun sort of sleepover while they tried to think of a way to reopen the portal from their own side.

If he mentioned bath time, Tony would bring up storytime, and then Bucky would be thinking about their morning routine, and yeah. That would probably lead to crying. Not good for either of them to dwell on what would happen if they couldn’t get home. Bucky was already terrified Tony would open his mouth and explain all of the horrible possibilities he hadn’t even considered yet. Like, what if time moved differently between the universes? What if they were only gone for five days but back home that equated to five  _years_? Or longer?

“You don’t think time works differently between universes, do you?” He bit down on his lip, annoyed that he’d let the question slip.

“Well, our ages seem to be the same. We’d need to test to be certain, but my guess is we’re more or less synced up. With obvious differences, of course.”

Bucky arched an eyebrow, amused despite himself. His Tony was wearing a put upon look and glaring at his alternate, his mouth still open to answer the question. “What he said,” he opted for, and the other Tony snorted as the elevator doors opened.

“Sorry. Not used to there being two of me.”

They went to follow, but Tony turned and blocked his path before he could exit the elevator, his expression serious. “We’ll be awhile, I’m guessing. You should sleep if you can.”

“You’re insane if you think that’s gonna happen.”

Tony swallowed, and ducked his head before looking up again, his eyes bright, his mouth pressed into a tight line. When he spoke, it was in Russian, and Bucky couldn’t help but notice Stark and Bruce watching them, not bothering to hide their curiosity.

“I’m scared shitless as it is, James, I can’t start letting myself think about all the possibilities, and every time I look at you I can see you’re feeling the same thing, and…”

Bucky cut him off with a kiss, not wanting Tony to finish the sentence. “I’ll let you three have your science orgy in peace. Call if you need me.”

Some of the tension left Tony’s shoulders as he nodded. “Thanks. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

He stepped back into the elevator, noticing the strained expression on Stark’s face as the doors slid shut. It just figured they’d wind up in a universe where Tony Stark and Bucky Barnes were complete idiots. Well, bigger idiots then he and Tony had been back before getting together, anyway.

Bucky decided to head to the gym, thinking it might be the best place to find his alternate. If his ass was going to be stuck in another universe, he needed a big ol’ distraction to fill his time so he didn’t go nuts. Tony had portals to deal with, which left him with matchmaking duty.

Sure enough, there was Barnes, beating relentlessly on one of the reinforced punching bags Tony had designed for Steve. He spun around as soon as Bucky stepped out of the elevator, his eyes narrowing.

“We’re not gonna have some special magic moment, so you might as well turn right ‘round and head back to loverboy.”

“Nah, that’s okay. He needs to concentrate on getting us home.”

Barnes snorted. “Sooner the better.”

“Sure, but since we’re already here, why not have some fun with it?” Bucky tilted his head toward the ring. “Wanna go a few rounds?”

To his surprise, Barnes relaxed at the suggestion. “Yeah, why the hell not?”

He was really good. Fighting himself was strange, because it was  _him_ , but at the same time not.  Bucky could tell that Barnes had spent a lot of time sparring with Steve, but he’d obviously been working with Clint and Natasha as well. He could recognize their influences, even though Barnes still fights with the sort of raw ‘something to prove’ desperation he’d shaken himself of years before.

Mostly, they were just tiring themselves out, very infrequently making direct hits, blocking each other or spinning out of reach before blows could connect. It was frustrating until it became amusing. He wasn’t sure why or how, but eventually it stopped being a sparring match, degrading into the sort of brotherly tousles he and Steve tended to have when neither of them had slept enough, but they were too punchy to attempt going to bed.

Instead of throwing punches, Barnes was trying to tickle him, while he was attempting to mess up his hair, or poke him in the side. Bucky felt incredibly triumphant when he finally managed to toss his opponent out of the ring and onto one of the nearby mats using a move he’d picked up from watching old wrestling matches with Tony.

One moment he was laughing at a surprised looking Barnes, the next his chest tightened painfully. The reason they’d wound up watching those matches in the first place was because something about the sounds of the crowd and the insanity of the fights had actually helped Edwin fall asleep. They’d only figured that out accidentally while channel surfing late one night. As soon as they’d changed the channel, he’d woken up and start crying, and so…

“Hey,” Barnes said, climbing back into the ring. “You, ah, look like you’re about to freak out. We okay here?”

Bucky took a deep breath, nodded. “Yeah, sorry. I’m fine.”

Barnes eyed him warily, but there was no judgement there in his eyes. If anything, he looked a little relieved. “I’ve seen that wide-eyed look in the mirror. Usually not  _fine_  when it happens.”

Bucky stared at the alternate version of himself for a moment, not sure how to respond. It had actually been ages since he’d had a full on anxiety attack, mostly because of how much time he’d spent working with Sam, talking with Tony, and the rest of his Avengers family. He still had the occasional triggering memory, but mostly things were good.

“You’re not dealing’ with it all alone, are you?” he asked, suddenly flooded with worry. Barnes shook his head. “Good. The team is the only reason I made it through all that sane. Tony especially.”

As expected, a tiny frown worked its way onto Barnes’s face. “Still trying to wrap my head ‘round that one.”

Bucky made a split decision, wondered if Tony would give him an earful later. He popped open the front of his uniform, reached into an interior pocket, and pulled out the tiny accordion photo album he kept with him whenever they Assembled. Tony liked to make fun of him for being such an old fuddy duddy, but unlike Tony’s digital photos, his were still accessible in the event of universe hopping.

“ _This_  is why I was upset,” he explained, tearing his eyes away from the top photo and tossing the album to Barnes.

Bucky watched the confusion spreading across Barnes’s face slowly shift into understanding. He stared at the photos unblinkingly, as if looking away might change what was captured there somehow.

Bucky climbed out of the ring, circled around to hover, pointing at the photo Barnes had stopped on, which was also one of his favorites. Edwin had been two, and he and Tony had fallen asleep on the couch together, Edwin sprawled on top of his dad, each of them with their mouths hanging open, lips curled in slight smiles.

“He’s bigger now,” Bucky said softly, taking the photos back and turning ahead. “Here, this one’s from earlier this year.”

Barnes let a little bark of laughter escape at the sight of Edwin with an arm around DUM-E, the photo taken while he was triumphantly pumping his little fist in the air. He’d dressed them both as pirates to the best of his three and a half year old abilities.

“You have a kid,” Barnes murmured, disbelievingly.

“Yeah, and right about now he’s expecting his dads to tuck him in.”

Barnes frowned at this, handed the photos back. “Guess that’s why Avengers shouldn’t have kids.”

Bucky clenched his jaw, biting back his reflexive tirade. He’d always wanted kids, even after what HYDRA had done to him the desire had been there, waiting to rear its ugly head as soon as he started feeling better. Despite this, he’d never really expected to have the chance to be a father. He tried to imagine another version of himself showing up before Edwin, showing off photos, and figured he’d try to rain on that guy’s parade, too. Jealousy had that effect on him.

“All sorts of parents in the world,” he answered eventually. “I’m sure there are people who’d agree with you, but they can go fuck themselves. Edwin won the dad lottery.”

“ _Edwin_?” Barnes said, eyebrows raised. “Why not Steve?

Bucky grinned. Looked like this version of himself had also wanted a little boy named after his best friend. “Actually, it is. Steven Edwin Stark. It was getting confusing with the whole Steve vs Steve thing, so we got in the habit of calling him by his middle name. Little guy has about a dozen aliases, though. Clint calls him Win, Stevewin, Eddie, shark, peanut…”

Barnes waved his hands to cut Bucky off. “You took his name?”

“Yeah, he wanted to change to Barnes but I talked him out of it so Pepper wouldn’t murder me. Brand recognition and all that.”

Barnes stared at him, chewing on his lower lip. “You seem happy.”

“I am. What about you?” Bucky asked, tucking his photos back inside his uniform.

“I’m fine.”

Bucky nodded, rolled his shoulders. “We used to drive each other crazy. I was convinced he hated me because of his parents, and he thought I hated him just because he’s insane like that. It’s mostly Howard’s fault. Tony operates under the assumption that the best he’ll get is people tolerating him. We got our heads out of our asses eventually. Can’t imagine life without him now.”

“We’re not the same person,” Barnes snapped. “So…”

“I know that. I’m only saying something because I saw the way he reacted when everyone else got a good laugh out of the idea of the two of us together. Trust me, I’ve got an advanced degree in deciphering Tony Stark.”

Barnes had been in the process of storming off, but stopped in his tracks. “What do you mean?” he asked, trying for nonchalant and falling short. “He was so disgusted by the idea he couldn’t even stay in the same room with me.”

Bucky sighed, ran a hand through his hair. “Try the exact opposite reason.” He grinned at the shocked expression Barnes was wearing. “Yup. So, look, if you like him too, maybe try talking to him about it. Otherwise, just find a way to forgive yourself, and understand it’s okay to aim for happy instead of fine.”

With that said, he slapped his alternate on the shoulder, and headed off to give him some time to think.

+

“We’re close,” Tony sighed, rubbing his palms into his eyes. They’d been at it for what felt like days, getting results only to have the portals collapse back in on themselves before a secure connection could be established. “Or not. I can’t even tell anymore.”

He stared at himself—that was surprisingly less weird than it’d been the first few hours they’d worked together—and sighed. Stark looked exhausted, which meant he probably didn’t look any better. Bruce was dozing on the couch, which seemed like the best course of action considering how little progress they’d made in the last hour.

“Okay, I need to clear my head. JARVIS, lock us out of the program for the next three hours.”

His alternate looked ready to protest, but then seemed to think better of it. “I’m on team Bruce,” he announced, flopping down on the opposite side of the couch. “Don’t let me sleep too long.”

“Don’t you want to go find  _Bucky_?”

“I think I can handle a power nap solo,” Stark said around an epic yawn. “James is distracting, if you know what I mean. I’ll actually get some sleep this way.”

Tony had a pretty good idea of how Stark would wind up distracted, but it was still tempting to ask for details. He  _might_  have dedicated some brainpower to pondering what it would be like sharing a bit of naked one on one time with Bucky. If the little smile his alternate was wearing was any indication, it wasn’t a disappointment.

Leaving the rest of Team Science sleeping, Tony went for a walk through the Tower, actively trying not to think on the portal problem, and eventually found himself outside with a cup of coffee, staring at the city lights.

“Hey.”

The soft greeting almost lost him his tasty beverage. “Why do people in this Tower live to sneak up on me?”

Bucky snorted, pushed himself away from the wall, stalking out of the shadows. “I was out here first.”

Tony rolled his eyes, trying not to notice how the wind whipped Bucky’s hair around his face, or the way the shadows seemingly accentuated the lines of his jaw, made his lower lip almost look pouty. Bucky’s handsomeness was something he struggled with in general, but at the moment it was almost like he was having his nose rubbed in it.

The other Tony knew what those lips felt like against his own. If it’d been him and his Bucky together, he’d be able to close the distance between them, press himself into the other man’s arms. Bucky would welcome it, which was just plain  _unfair_. This Bucky Barnes would probably toss him off the top of the Tower if he could get away with it.

He took a sip of coffee just to keep himself from saying anything completely stupid, then opted for, “Guess I’ll just leave you to it, then,” proud that he sounded only a little petulant.

Bucky stepped to the side, blocking his way. “Wait! I didn’t… I wasn’t trying to chase you off.” Tony stopped in his tracks, mostly from surprise. Bucky was staring at him like he was a puzzle to solve, and it was incredibly unnerving. “Was, ah, kinda glad to see you, actually.”

“Why?”

As he watched Bucky, he could see the little flash of defensiveness or irritation morph into something else entirely, something like understanding. Then the bastard  _smiled,_  and not a halfhearted one, either. It made his eyes twinkle, which should be outlawed.

“Your double talk to you about anything other than science?”

“No.”

Bucky grinned, folded his arms across his chest. “Prepare to have your mind blown.”

“Wait, do they have one of those exception lists couples come up with?” Bucky stared at him in confusion. “You know, we agree we’ll be strictly monogamous unless, I dunno, a portal opens up and dumps another  _me_  into the mix. That sort of thing.”

Bucky’s eyes narrowed, but the smile stayed in place. “You’d rather have two of  _me_  than two of you.” Tony almost dropped his coffee. He also definitely blushed. “Am I right?”

He opened his mouth, trying for a witty retort, and finding nothing at all. He couldn’t shake the sudden mental image of himself getting to be the creamy Tony center of a Bucky sandwich. His fantasies had been distracting enough when there was only _one_  Bucky Barnes to lust after. Two was going to be the death of him, especially if his Bucky kept smiling at him like that.

“Shut up,” he settled on, trying to step around Barnes and finding himself blocked again. “Fine, what’d you two chat about that was so interesting?”

“They have a kid,” Bucky said reverently, as if announcing he’d discovered the secret to the universe. His expression was all soft and vulnerable, and nothing like anything Tony had seen on his face before. “Edwin.”

Despite himself, he sucked in a little breath. “Edwin?”

Bucky grinned, nodded. “Steven Edwin Stark,” he proclaimed, and hearing it made Tony want to run away and hide.  _Edwin_. He and Bucky had a son? Only… _he_ and Bucky didn’t have anything. “He’s fucking adorable, Tony, just the perfect little kid.”

Any plans he’d had for lambasting the idea of the two of them with kids was shoved roughly aside. “You  _saw_  him?”

“Yeah, my double keeps photos on him.”

Tony was tempted to storm back down into the workshop and demand to see evidence of said child, but he was too distracted by fitting this new bit of data into his interactions with the other Stark, and coming to some realizations.

“No wonder the other me is so freaked out,” he murmured, staring into his coffee. He looked up, found Bucky watching him, not bothering to hide his curiosity. “Weird or not, c’mon! Travel between universes is pretty epic. He should have the world’s biggest science boner, but he’s been the opposite of a barrel of laughs.”

Bucky nodded. “They’re terrified they won’t be able to get home to their son. Tony,” Bucky said, taking a step forward. “You’re gonna be able to help them. Right?”

And it was strange how the question hit him. Bucky looked so worried, but also a lot like _yes_ was the only possible answer. Like he believed in Tony. Which was… nice. Unexpected, but really, really nice.

“We’ll get them home,” he swore, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “Even if I have to suck it up and call Reed Richards.”

As he watched, Bucky swallowed, and looked down, seeming to focus on Tony’s chin. “You… you don’t  _actually_  hate me, do you?”

He tightened his grip on Bucky’s shoulder, a little spike of adrenaline rushing through his system in response to the vulnerable tone of voice. “Why would I hate you?” he asked, incredulous.

Bucky looked up, his beautiful eyes bright. “Tony, I killed your parents.”

“HYDRA killed them,” he insisted, because it was true. The idea of blaming Bucky Barnes for the actions of the Winter Soldier was just unfathomable. He quickly finished his coffee, then set the mug down on the ground, this time placing a hand on each of Bucky’s shoulders and giving a little shake. “Have you seriously thought… But why would I tell Steve to have you move in if I felt that way?”

“Steve’s… People don’t like to let him down. Figured you were tolerating me because of him.”

“I’m not  _tolerating_  you,” Tony gasped, “if anything you’re tolerating  _me_!”

“Holy shit,” Bucky murmured, his eyes wide, a tiny smile tugging at his lips as he stared at Tony. “He was  _right_.”

Before Tony could ask what the hell that meant, Bucky reached out, and he had cool, metallic fingers curled possessively around his cheek, pulling him in closer, and only had time to open his mouth to say, “Huh?” before Bucky was kissing him.

Bucky.

Kissing him.

 _Him_!

Because Tony was a genius, he went with it, just relaxed into the experience before kissing back, trying to show a bit of restraint and not doing a particularly good job of it. He had a hand in Bucky’s hair, the other on his hip, was chasing after Bucky’s wicked, teasing tongue. But then he caught himself pushing up onto his tiptoes in order to get closer, thought of their alternates, and felt his spirits sink.

“Wait,” he blurted, pulling back fast enough that Bucky was left blinking, licking his own lower lip, looking flushed and shellshocked. “Why are you kissing me? Because they did? Well, we’re not them, and…”

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for ages, idiot,” Bucky snapped, his trademark scowl making an appearance. “But I was kinda under the impression that you hated me, so I didn’t exactly want to put myself out there for that sort of rejection.”

Tony’s arguments fizzled out and died, because, “Ages?”

“Yes,” and this time he could see the affectionate exasperation in Bucky’s smile. Apparently he’d been misreading that particular look. “Our doubles were idiots, too, if it makes you feel any better. He—the other me—told me I should aim for happy. Only way I’m gonna be happy is if you’re stupid enough to give this a shot with me.”

“I’m so incredibly stupid, yes,” Tony agreed, unable to wipe the grin off of his face. It felt like it was taking over. “More kissing, we have to make up for lost time.”

Of course, because he really was ridiculous, right about the time their makeout session took a particularly interesting turn—Bucky was squeezing his ass over and over while he rocked himself against Tony’s hip, and sucked on his tongue—Tony had an epiphany.

“No wonder it didn’t work,” he blurted, pushing himself free.

“Excuse me?”

“The portal! Come on, we need to head back to where they originally came through.”

+

“You’re sure about this?”

Bucky watched as Tony, Bruce, and Tony checked over the equipment they’d carted back up into the foothills. The burnt down facility seemed to be giving off extra special dystopian future vibes. It had something to do with the juxtaposition of shining Stark tech and rubble, the thick cables running this way and that, tethering everything to one of Tony’s mid-sized arc reactors.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be back home before you know it!”

His own Tony just gave him a shiteating grin, one arm slung around his counterpart’s shoulders as he mouthed the word, “home,” and winked. Bucky nodded back, then turned to give his attention to his own double.

“You took my advice, didn’t you?” Bucky blurted. It was just that Barnes had a look about him; some of the standoffish tension he’d been projecting had gone missing.

“Maybe,” he agreed, shrugging a shoulder and glancing over at the two Tony Starks. They were slapping at each other’s hands as they rushed to finish setting up the equipment. “Just, um. Thanks?”

Bucky nodded, passing up the opportunity to do a whole “I told you so” song and dance routine. Steve had certainly teased the shit out of him after the happy outcome of his own interfering. He’d gotten so annoyed by his two friends bickering whilst simultaneously mooning over each other that he’d eventually locked them in the Hulk’s containment room until they worked out their differences.

“Can I ask one more favor?” Barnes shuffled awkwardly, then cleared his throat. “Was hoping… I know it’ll sound nuts, but I was wondering if I could have one of the photos of Edwin.”

Bucky had others at home, would have the opportunity to take many more, but it was still difficult to think about handing one of them over to Barnes. Still… he and Tony had been so lucky to get together when they did. They’d already had a year of marriage under their belt when Bucky had come across the infant purely by accident while sweeping an area for any AIM operatives. He and Tony had tried and failed to find any family the child might have, all the while growing more and more attached, until they’d found themselves throwing some of Tony’s money at the legalities of adopting the orphan.

There was no telling if Edwin was even alive in this universe, and the idea of that left him feeling hollowed out and sick to his stomach. Impulsively, he pressed the entire album into Bucky’s hand, closed his fingers over it.

“If you ever get the chance, Tony is an amazing guy to raise a kid with. He’ll probably drive you crazy with second guessing himself, but that’s only because of Howard. He got over it pretty fast, cuz he’s a natural.”

Barnes looked a little like he might cry, but swallowed, croaked out, “Thank you. Again.”

Bucky watched him tuck the photos away, right over his heart, then gave him a hug. Barnes hugged him back, and then they split up to roll their eyes at two wolf whistling Starks.

“Kiss!” Stark shouted, waggling his eyebrows, but then he was sputtering, because Tony grabbed him and laid a big wet one on him. And that shouldn’t have been hot, not even a little bit, but wow. Yes. It really was.

“Alright, you’ve had your fun,” Bucky called.

“Send them home before I’m traumatized for life,” Clint begged.

And five minutes later, the portal was flaring back to life in front of them, maintaining its stability, causing a whole lot of celebratory racket from the Starks. “Thanks for the ride,” Tony called, climbing into his armor and zipping over to grab Bucky. “Maybe we can work out a way to communicate between universes, keep in touch.”

“I’ll get on it,” Stark called, smiling as his own Bucky Barnes came around the console to stand much closer than he would have just the day before. Bucky watched the two of them, smiling to himself as Barnes placed his hand over his heart, right where the photos were, and gave him a nod.

“Go on,” he called, “you’ve got somebody waiting for you.”

“Here goes nothing,” Tony said, and then they were flying through the portal, and…

…

… it didn’t really feel like they’d made it back home until they returned to the Tower, and saw Edwin’s face light up with surprise and delight, his little legs pumping as he took off running toward them, screaming, “Daddies!”

**Author's Note:**

> Keep your eyes peeled for the prequel to this story, where we find out how the Portal Tony & Bucky finally got together. And then an actual sequel will be written in the not too distant future, where we get to spend some time with the Portal Husbands & Edwin, and find out how the other Tony & Bucky are doing, as well. ;D


End file.
